Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-03-05


But back of all that lies the great
question of "Federal aid to the States
for educational purposes" and here
is Gov. Taylor's position on that sub
ject, as stated in his leading speech of
the canvass:
"But / would not have you believe
that the democratic party is opposed
to universal education. The plain
truth of history is that the democratic
party instituted and maintained for
half a century a system Of free educa-
ton. Federal aid has been extended
through all the past history of this
country to popular education, reserv-
ing and granting for thatpurposeparts
of the public domain. Democratic
congresses have appropriated 10000
600 acres of public land for education
al purposes, and the measures were
approved by democratic presidents.
When Tennessee herself was coded
to the United States by North CARROLL
ma and became part of the territory,
the government gaveto Tennessee the
power to issue grants within her terri
tory. There were reserved 100000
acres in East Tennessee, and 1905
acres in Middle and West Tennessee,
for the use of two colleges and $40
acres in every six miles square for the
useOf schools and academies. This
statute was approved by Thomas JEFF
ferson. The lands of Tennessee were
then part of the public domain of
the United States, and congress, with
JeffersOn's approval, caused to. be
erected two colleges and twenty-seven
academies in the state of Tennessee.
All that remained from the sale of
the public land for the education of
the children of Tennessee was stolen
by the republican party after the war.
"In all the territories of the union
there are 1880 acres in every Six miles
square set apart for the establishment
and maintenance of common schools.
The democratic party has given TO-
100000 acres of land for common
school education. The republican
party has voted 96,0OO,OOO to land
grabbers, railroads and corporate
monopolies. In my advocacy of the
means for obtaining education for our
children follow the plain paths of
democratic principles taught by JEFF
fers0n, the founder ofour free govern
ment." -Extract from r. l.. Taylor's
opening (and therefore leading speech
of the campaign, delivered at Madi-
sonville.
This shows his position up to the
election and his message, and estab-
fishes the following points: LIST, That
he favored free schools. I'd, He fa-
vored Federal aid to make them per.
manent. Sd, He believed the best
mode to do this was through sales Of
the public lands. 4th, He opposed
the appropriation of any surplus in
the Federal treasury applicable tc
payment of the public debt. 9Th, He
opposed Federal supervision over oul
, schools. These positions were pub
licly proclaimed by him, and spread
: by the press all over the State, anG
: only those too ignorant or too careless
: to read, or too stupid to understand
f plain English, could have failed t.
| know just where our candidate fol
Governor stood on the Blair bill anC
| Federal aid question. These utter
2 ances speak boldly and distinctly.
3 But it is charged that he went bach
on all this in his message to tn
: Legislature. Let us see if the prin
: ciples announced in his message ar
S or not perfectly consistent with thos
s previously uttered. Here is what h
: says in his message:
1 "By thorough reformation of on
0 revenue system we may so improv
7 our finances as to be able to bette
provide for the support ofour publt
4 schools; but complete and sufficien
S provision can hardly be made unit
4 our taxable wealth shall have bee
n greatly increased by more eXten
o sive development of our resources
But until this shall take place, wher
e shall we look for complement to tn
: provision we are able to make? Fo
i the children of the present who can
not wait, how shall we supply tn
great deficit in our school fund? Tn
& masses of the people are anxiOusl
n turning their eyes to the Geners
J. Government for aid.
O "My sense of duty to the childre
- of the State compels me to say that
IL there is a surplus 6fmoney in the M
, tional Treasury not applicable to tn
d payment of the national debt, the az
Is preparation of the same for this pul
;. pose, stripped of the conditions {
" Federal supervision, would be an il
estimable blessing to them"
l. Here we have advocacy of schools
/ of Federal aid, opposition to apprC
Il priating any money now in the Fec
,e eral treasury for the purpose which
applicable to the payment of the pull
ir lie debt, and opposition to Feeders
Of supervision over our public school
S. So far, certainly he is literally cOnsi
re tent, nor is there any Inconsistency
IS in his believing that the proceeds
A. r. ... ,N,,bI;a Il